Finally done." Yanwei exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he leaned back in his chair. The dim light of the lantern flickered across the room, casting long shadows that seemed to mirror the weight of his thoughts. "I just hope all my calculations are correct." A quiet chuckle escaped him, tinged with self-mockery. "It's ironic, though. The so-called number one demon, forced to be this cautious." He shook his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
His fingers lightly tapped the edge of the table as he stared at the complex diagrams and notes laid before him, symbols and equations that he had spent days refining. The sound was rhythmic, almost meditative, a signal of the weight of his deliberation. "Every backup plan is in place. But now…" His gaze shifted, the smile fading into an intense focus as he considered the next challenge ahead. "How do I break through to rank 2?"
Pacing back and forth in the dimly lit room, Yanwei muttered aloud, his voice carrying the weight of his internal conflict. "There are three paths I could take."
He raised a finger, his brow furrowing. "The first: use a pill. It's the easiest and safest option, but it would weaken my foundation. A fragile base like that would cripple my future progress." His expression soured at the thought. He had always prided himself on being meticulous, never one to take shortcuts.
A second finger rose, his gaze sharpening. "The second: gather four natural treasures representing wind, fire, earth, and water. It'll cost me a fortune, but the foundation it provides is solid. This method is favored by even the geniuses of rank 8 sects, and sometimes even rank 9." He nodded to himself, his thoughts becoming more grounded. "Slow, but safe. It might take years, but it ensures I won't burn out too quickly."
Finally, his third finger rose, and a dark shadow crossed his face. "The last option…" His voice dropped slightly, as though speaking the words aloud made them all the more real. "Using the essence of humans. It's the fastest way, and the foundation would be unparalleled. But it's unstable, and if I lose control, the secret realm itself might collapse. Not just my life, but everything I've worked for could be lost."
He clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing as he thought about the risks involved. "Option 1 is safe but weak. Option 2 is slow, costly, but secure. Option 3… it's tempting, but the risks are too great."
After a long moment of silence, Yanwei let out a deep breath and lowered his fist, letting the tension seep out of his body. "The second option," he muttered under his breath. "It'll take time, and I'll need to scrape together the resources, but I can't afford recklessness. The stronger the foundation, the higher I can climb."
He paused, his fingers lightly tracing the edge of a small vial filled with glowing liquid. A symbol of his earlier decisions, it now felt like an anchor in his plans, a reminder of his sacrifices. "But there's another issue." His voice grew darker as his thoughts turned inward. "The spirit stones I saved are almost gone." He sighed, rubbing his temple as he recalled the sacrifices made for the second merit. "Exchanging for the second merit drained me dry. If I want to gather those treasures, I'll need a new source of income."
A feeling of frustration gnawed at him, but he quickly shoved it aside, replacing it with the calm resolve that had seen him through countless trials. Tapping his finger against the table, Yanwei's mind churned as he worked through his options. "I'll figure something out." His eyes briefly flickered toward the window, the faint moonlight casting long shadows over the room. "But for now, the plan comes first. I can't afford to stumble now—not after a hundred years of preparation."
His eyes gleamed coldly as he stood, his form rigid with purpose. "An anomaly like me doesn't get second chances."